HARRISBURG — Today the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) PAC, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, along with Planned Parenthood PA PAC, came together on the steps of the Pennsylvania Statehouse to announce their joint endorsement of Pennsylvania State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta for Auditor General.

HRC Pennsylvania State Director Ryan Matthews and Planned Parenthood PA PAC Political Director Adam Hosey spoke alongside Kenyatta in Harrisburg about the urgent moment for the communities that both organizations serve and how Kenyatta is poised to bring about change on behalf of those communities.

Pennsylvania State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta (left) speaks March 12, 2024, from the steps of the Pennsylvania State Capitol as Human Rights Campaign Pennsylvania State Director Ryan Matthews looks on

Kenyatta in particular addressed his commitment to fighting against so-called “conversion therapy,” the debunked range of practices that seek to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity. He also spoke about the importance of fighting to defend access to abortion care as Pennsylvania has become a destination for that care as other states in its region have banned or severely restricted abortions following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling.

And he addressed the harms that young LGBTQ+ people can suffer just from hearing about discriminatory anti-LGBTQ+ legislation being introduced around the country.

“We need to also recognize the impact that anti-LGBTQ, anti-trans legislation has had on the mental health of our young people,” Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta said (video clip). “We know that young people are twice, three times in some instances, as likely to suffer from depression, to suffer from suicidal ideation. And I’ve introduced legislation over the years, one particular bill called Phillip’s Law after a young person in my district died by suicide to look at how Pennsylvania’s providing mental health care in our schools. And we need to do a comprehensive view and approach of how we provide and how we fund that care in our schools.”

Human Rights Campaign Pennsylvania State Director Ryan Matthews (left) speaks March 12, 2024, from the steps of the Pennsylvania State Capitol as Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (second from left) and Planned Parenthood PA PAC Political Director Adam Hosey (second from right) look on.

“Malcolm was the first representative of color from the LGBTQ community to represent us here in the Capitol in Harrisburg,” HRC’s Ryan Matthews said. “And he has made us incredibly proud by becoming the chair of the LGBTQ Caucus, championing the Fairness Act, which passed out of the House after a generation’s worth of trying thanks to many of his other colleagues. And also, taking the lead on fiscal matters in many of the leadership roles he has taken on in the House.”

Pennsylvania State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta

A longtime organizer and advocate in Pennsylvania, Rep. Kenyatta in 2018 became the first openly LGBTQ+ person of color to win a seat in the Pennsylvania Legislature. He has fought for workers' rights, to enact gun safety policies, and has a strong focus on combating government corruption and waste. He has held multiple legislative leadership roles: member of the powerful State Government Committee with oversight on state agencies and elections, Minority Chair of the Subcommittee on Campaign Finance and Elections, Minority Chair of Automation and Technology in the Committee on Commerce, and a member of the Finance Committee. He served on former Gov. Tom Wolf’s Suicide Prevention Task Force, and he has been a member of the Philadelphia Delegation leadership team.

HRC’s Commitment to Pennsylvania

HRC PAC is committed to engaging its volunteers, members and supporters to mobilize the more than 3 million Equality Voters in Pennsylvania in support of Kenyatta and other pro-equality candidates up and down the ballot.

Equality Voters are a voting bloc of demographically and geographically diverse Americans who are united by the advancement of LGBTQ+ equality. Equality Voters are younger, more racially diverse, and more female than the general electorate, they recognize and trust the HRC brand, and they are more likely to identify with issue-specific organizations than candidates or political parties.

HRC has had staff and resources on the ground in Pennsylvania since 2017. Across the country, HRC PAC works every day to elect pro-equality leaders who support policies that will support the rights and lives of LGBTQ+ people.